His Last Words
by Ithil Hareth
Summary: When Kohaku's rebellious soul hesitates to kill on command, Naraku's patience wears thin. As a final task, Naraku commands him to kill Sango before turning the blade on himself, but his plans quickly change. Some Miroku and Sango fluff.
1. Assassination Orders

**His Last Words**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from InuYasha.

**Chapter 1: Assassination Orders**

The clink of a metal chain was the only warning the man had. A few people yelled in surprise around him, but by the time be turned around, the edge of the kusari-gama had already found his neck. Blackness swarmed his eyes and he collapsed in a dead heap while the weapon ripped away from him. The man's wife shrieked in horror and began to run, but the chain-sickle found her neck as well. Falling a few steps away from her husband, her last breath was stolen away.

A slight tug was all that was needed to spring the kusari-gama back to his hand. Taking a tighter grip on it, the boy hardened his empty gaze of dull brown eyes and sped forward, barely sparing a glance at his two new victims. A few other villagers screamed and sped away from him, but one man was brave enough to stand up to him. The boy's face remained emotionless as he threw his weapon at the man. The chain ensnared his throat and caused his eyes to roll up into his head. Even as the man fell, the boy continued to run past him, his weapon in his hand once more.

_'Get the jewel,'_ whispered a cold voice in the boy's mind. An ache seemed to pulse his back where a tiny jewel shard had been imbedded underneath the usual violet kimono he wore. The pain left no sign on his face. His brown eyes showed no emotion and were mostly hidden under the mass of unkept black hair, though most of it had been tied back with a plain ribbon. Freckles were dotted just above his nose, a sign that the boy was no older than eleven or twelve. _'Kill all who get in your way,'_ the voice whispered.

Continuing forward, he suddenly found himself facing a little girl. She had fled from her home after hearing the noise and trying to find her mother when she accidentally crossed the path of the boy with the chain-sickle. She screamed in fear and her knees gave way underneath her. _'Kill her,'_ hissed the voice. The boy raised his weapon above his head in preparation to dispose of this girl. _'Kill her!'_ the voice urged. The boy's hand shook in hesitation, though no emotion crossed his face. The girl couldn't be more than a year younger than him. Her face was streamed with tears.

Suddenly uncontrollable pain wretched through his back where the shard was. The first sign of emotion came onto his face as it twisted in distorted pain. The hand holding his weapon shook, but the hesitation he had felt crumpled away. The blade fell down onto the girl as she still screamed. Breathing heavily, the boy felt himself continue on. A faint feeling of disappointment and fury leaked into the back of his mind as if they belonged to someone else.

His goal appeared before him. The shrine of the village. Though it looked no more than a simple hut, a few wind chimes decorated the windows and a woman, obviously a priestess, stood infront of the door. Standing defiantly in his way, she gazed at him with cool, strong eyes, her short brown hair dancing with the wind. Stopping his run, he readied his kusari-gama for a final blow.

"Halt there boy! You are no demon, who has sent you to kill our villagers?" the woman demanded. Suddenly he watched her gasp as her eyes went over his head. Above him, a woman was perched on a large feather. Her eyes were red and her ears pointed, signalling her as a demon. In her hand was a fan and her lips were curled in a taunting sneer. The woman barely had time to scream before the demon slashed her fan. A blinding cut of light twirled from it and met the priestess straight in the chest. Her breath was ripped out of her as she fell, dead.

Not even turning around to acknowledge the demon, the boy ran past the corpse of the priestess and into the hut. It took him only a moment to locate the statue. In the centre of the shrine, a table furnished with elegant cloth, various candles and sutras stood in calm peace. A statue stood in the middle of the table. A woman wrapped in a smooth cloak looking up at the sky with her hands cupped together as if trying to catch rain. In the woman's hands was a tiny pink shard that glowed dimly. Carefully taking the statue from its place, the boy took the shard from the woman's hands. After the shard was firmly in his hand, he let go of the statue and turned to leave. The statue fell to the ground and immediately shattered into pieces.

After exiting the shrine, he approached the female demon, still perched on her feather. Her face was stoic, but a look of disgust was hidden behind her red eyes as she looked at him. Jumping onto the feather behind the demon, he waited calmly as she pulled the feather higher into the sky. The sounds of screams and running below faded away as the two of them sped into the distance.

His dull expressionless eyes swept over the forest scenery, never truly capturing what he was seeing. The pain in his back still throbed, but it had dulled quite a bit. Time slipped by as the demon drew closer to their destination. Suddenly it felt as if they were flying through a heavy cloud. The female demon raised an arm infront of her eyes, but the boy remained motionless. Once the sensation had passed, the two of them found themselves facing a large castle sitting in the middle of a vast barren valley.

Flying to the ground, the demon's feather shrank. The two of them leaped down. The boy immediately began walking towards the castle, but the demon waited until her feather had floated down to her for her to catch it and put it into her hair before following. Slowly they wound further and further towards the heart of the castle. A thin miasma ensnared them. The female demon wore a displeased frown, but the boy remained stoic.

Finally they arrived infront of a large sliding door. The silhouette of a man with long flowing hair appeared behind the door, his eyes glowing red. "Come," he said. It was the same cold voice that had been whispering in the boy's head.

Sliding the door open, the boy walked straight in and immediately went down on his knees and bowed his head forward. Pushing his hand out, he placed the small jewel shard onto the floor infront of his master. The man reached out and took the shard, clasping it tightly in his fist.

"You did well to retrieve this for me, but your hesitation to kill that young girl has become a habit. I gave you plenty of chances, yet your true self still seems to wish to fight me," the man said in a calm, but angry tone. He remained silent for a while. "Perhaps it is time for your final task. Kohaku, do you wish to be free from me?" The boy, Kohaku, didn't answer. Sneering down at him, the man continued. "As your final act of service to me, I want you to go and...kill your sister, Sango. Kill Kagome as well. InuYasha and Miroku are too strong for you, but Sango and Kagome will easily fall. They will not have the heart to kill you, even if it is out of pity." The boy remained silent, allowing his master's eerie laugh to surround him.

The female demon suddenly shifted and the man turned his gaze to her. "Kagura? You have something to say?"

Frowning, she left her lean against the wall to stand straight. "Naraku. How do you expect him to carry out such a task if he can't even kill a little girl? You may have his memory wiped, but he will know who his sister is."

The man returned her frown. "You think I do not know this? It is a simple enough problem to solve." Something in the man's right hand suddenly glowed with a black light as he clenched his fist. Kohaku suddenly grimaced heavily and shook as if in great pain. The shard on his back glowed in a mimic to the black light. "All is taken care of," Naraku continued with a sly smile. "Kagura, take him to InuYasha and his friends. See that they find him."

Kagura blinked, not understanding what Naraku did to Kohaku, but she nodded nevertheless. Naraku's laugh echoed through the empty castle.

**With InuYasha...**

"SIT!" yelled the young voice of a girl deep within the forest. The grunt and thud after it startled the nearby birds and sent them flying.

"Whatcha do that for!" growled the voice of a dog hanyou. His figure was sprawled against the floor, but he had managed to peel his face from the crater he had created after being forced head first into the soil. The man was dressed in a baggy red kimono with a thin sword in a black sheath at his hip. He wore no shoes, but this was not the strangest trait. His hair was long and silver and two white dog ears were perched ontop of his head. His eyes were gold and obviously infuriated.

"It was for pounding Shippou on the head! He didn't even do anything wrong!" answered the angry raven-haired girl. Her chocolate brown eyes flared with determined anger. She wore a long-sleeved white sweater and a short green skirt with long white socks and brown walking shoes.

"Yeah! All I said was that the Tetsusaiga nearly slipped out of your hands when you did that second Wind Scar!" added a child kitsune youkai. His tiny fist was clenched at the dog hanyou. He wore a dark blue hakama with a light blue shirt and a furry, light brown vest ontop of it. His feet were little paws, if anything, and a large fluffy tail twitched behind him as he sat on the raven-haired girl's shoulder. "We're lucky you didn't drop it or else we'd all be dead!"

"It wasn't MY fault! Sango shrieked so loud it could have _woken_ the dead!" The hanyou pointed over to another one of their companions. A young woman taijiya in a light pink kosoda and green mo-bakama holding a large Hiraikotsu over her shoulder. A small yellow neko youkai was in her free hand, mewing softly. The taijiya's black hair was tied back near the tip with a white ribbon and her dark brown eyes blinked in confusion.

Memory dawned on her and suddenly her face grew furious. "I wouldn't have yelled if a certain HOUSHI kept his hands AWAY from me during a battle!" She rounded on the last member of their group. He was a tall houshi wearing black and violet robes while holding a long staff with golden rings clinking at the top. His black hair was mostly short, but a small snip of it had been tied back. His blue eyes didn't even hold the most remote sign of anger. Instead, a small smile played on his lips.

"Why Sango, if I had only known you didn't approve of that only during battles, I would be happy to continue otherwise," he said in a smooth and warm voice.

Sango wasn't the only one whose face immediately turned into a look of utter disgust. Kagome, Shippou, and InuYasha all stared at him as if he had sprouted horns and took a few steps away from him.

Sighing, Kagome shook her head and looked down to her hand. Opening it, she examined the jewel shard between her fingers. Its pure pink light was strangely strong. "At least we got another jewel shard from that last demon. Let's just all be grateful it wasn't as strong as it seemed after it survived InuYasha's first Wind Scar," she said, half-trying to change the subject.

Sango nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's just count our blessings, gather some more supplies, and keep going," she suggested. Putting her neko youkai, Kirara, on the ground, she leaned her Hiraikotsu against a tree and then picked up the water bottle Kagome had given her. "I'll go get some water from the river. I'll take yours as well, if you want." The tension had decreased by somewhat, but Sango still stepped wearily around Miroku. As she walked away from the group with her arms full of water bottles with Kirara following beside her, the three others shot their final glares at Miroku.

"What?" he said defensively, blinking in confusion.

Huffing InuYasha turned away, but not before he loudly muttered, "Idiot." Shippou simply shook his head and crossed his arms, following InuYasha. The two of them sat themselves at the base of a tree, rummaging around in Kagome's large yellow backpack for a snack to eat.

"You can be so insensitive sometimes, Miroku," Kagome sighed. Catching his questioning look, she searched for the right words to say. "Miroku, you are always asking women to bear their children for you, but you don't even know the first rule about women."

"What do you mean? I thought women liked it when I--"

"Miroku!" Kagome snapped, cutting in. She took a breath to calm down. Setting her gaze on him again, she put her hands on her hips. "First of all, no woman likes to be touched like that. Especially if they see the guy doing the same thing to every woman that comes their way! How do you think Sango feels?"

The monk watched her carefully, obviously rolling her words over in his mind. Kagome didn't wait for an answer. Instead, she turned around towards InuYasha and Shippou. "Come on, Shippou. Let's go find some herbs, we're starting to run out." The kitsune immediately jumped up and began walking beside her as they went along the forest path to try and find some of the plants Lady Kaede had taught Kagome about.

Further away from the group, Sango was kneeling beside a rumbling river. Her mind was only half on what she was doing, which was gently dipping the mouths of the water bottles into the river to gather some water. For a few precious moments, her mind was silent, at peace. She sighed and closed her eyes, relishing in the quiet. Unfortunately, a certain monk awaited her in her mind. His warm smile and soft words were etched into her mind, though she had no idea how they had gotten there. She felt her face heat a little and furiously shook her head as if trying to shake the thoughts out before opening her eyes. Realizing the water bottle she had been holding was over-flowing, she closed it and set it aside.

"Sango?" came a familiar voice. The tone was different, it almost sounded apologetic. She turned around slightly and found herself staring at the face of Miroku. His sad face looked truly sincere as if he had something on his mind. She blinked at him, which he took as permission to approach closer. Her eyes followed him as he came and sat himself down beside her. He kept his hands obediently in his lap or on his staff and they did not twitch as they usually did as if desiring to grope a woman's rear.

When she remained silent, Miroku took his opportunity to speak. "Sango, I just wanted to say that I am sorry. I didn't mean to upset you so much. Please forgive me," he said calmly, his eyes directly on her own. His words were not forced or sulky, they were calm and sure, giving a sense that he truly meant them.

Realizing she was staring at his eyes, she flushed and looked away. From the corner of her eyes she saw him smile lightly. Unable to push her blushing down, she struggled to reply. "I-it's okay. I forgive you," she replied.

Silence enveloped them once more, neither looking at the other by this point. Finally Miroku began to say, "Sango, are--," but he was cut off by the sound of metal clinking as if it was flying through the air. The taijiya had only turned partly towards the sound when she heard Miroku yell, "Watch out!" and pull her down to the ground beside him.

* * *

Dictionary

neko youkai : cat demon

kosoda : Sango's dress

mo-bakama : Sango's apron

kusari-gama : Kohaku's chain-sickle

hanyou : half demon

kitsune : fox demon

taijiya : demon exterminator

houshi : monk

* * *

My first chapter is finally finshed! Sorry I left it at a cliff hanger, it's a writer's trick of keeping readers interested. lol Anyway, I hope you like it and please review! 


	2. A Bond is Cut

**His Last Words**

Disclaimer: I still do not own anything from InuYasha, sadly (lol).

**Chapter 2: A Bond is Cut**

Red eyes watched boredly at the company from their hidden spot of an oak's shadow. They were connected to the bland face of a young female demon in a decorative red and violet kimono. Her short black hair was tied up with two feathers in their midst while in her hand was a simple, red-striped fan. _'I don't see why Naraku enjoys using trickery to defeat his enemies,'_ Kagura thought coldly, arms folded in her kimono sleeves. _'Kohaku won't be able to kill Sango, she's too strong for him. What is Naraku trying to accomplish?'_

Kohaku's weapon had flown over Miroku and Sango's heads and collided with the soil behind them. Sango had pulled herself free from Miroku's grasp to look back. A gasp ripped from her lips as she recognized the kusari-gama. She quickly turned her head towards her younger brother. He stood with his emotionless eyes like bottomless pits and wore his black and yellow taijiya suit, the same suit he had worn the day Naraku forced him to kill his family.

_'What did Naraku do to the boy? He looks more like corpse than a possessed human now,'_ she thought curiously as she watched Kohaku tug on the chain and fling his bone-blade back into his hand. Sango and Miroku barely managed to rush to their feet and out of the way in time before Kohaku swung down his weapon once more. It hit the ground, but he easily pulled it back up and thrust it at Sango's stomach, whom was nearest him. The female demon slayer managed to dodge it, but she was too late to stop her younger brother when he side swept his kusari-gama at Miroku. The monk wasn't quick enough to avoid the blade digging into his side. He let out a cry of pain and collapsed on the ground, holding a hand to his heavily bleeding wound.

"Miroku!" Sango cried out, but unable to approach him. Kohaku had turned to his sister once more and she had frozen in her tracks.

Kagura sighed lightly and turned away from the battle. It was obvious that Kohaku wasn't putting as much effort into killing them as he could be. No matter what Naraku had done to him, it still wasn't powerful enough to completely squash the boy's rebellious spirit. _'No use in staying. I've done what Naraku has ordered. No doubt he's watching all of this on Kanna's mirror already,'_ she thought. Reaching up a hand, she plucked a feather from her hair. Throwing it up into the air, a great wind seemed to blow from the ground as it grew larger. After easily jumping up and into the feather, she directed it towards Naraku's castle.

The wind passed her by and the scenery flashed beneath her. Allowing herself a relieving sigh, she once again contemplated the idea of running away. _'I serve no purpose to Naraku. None that is very useful anyway. He uses Kanna's mirror to spy on InuYasha and me to carry around Kohaku.'_ Her thoughts fell silent for a few moments. _'The only thing I can be of any use for is killing InuYasha, but if he truly wanted me to do so, he would have taken over my mind as he did with Kohaku. He knows that I don't wish to kill them and he knows that I wish to escape from him, but then...why is he keeping me alive?' _Sighing again, she closed her eyes for a bit. It was difficult enough to realize how close to freedom she was without pondering what went on inside Naraku's head. It sometimes hurt to think how much of a prisoner she was.

Pushing the thoughts away, she decided to think of something else. _'Naraku said that he was sending Kohaku to fulfill his final act of service. Does that mean he plans to kill Kohaku after it's done?'_ She grimaced heavily. _'With him gone, I will be of no use to Naraku. Will absorb me back into his body then?' _She looked away from the direction she was heading and gazed at the sun for a moment. _'I can't escape from Naraku on my own, but I can't simply wait for him to absorb me back into himself once more. If I run, he will know and he will find me. He'll bring me back and I'll surely be killed.'_

Her thoughts forcefully crumbled away once again. Soon she felt the aura of Naraku's castle near her. Down on the ground, something flashed in the corner of her eye. Directing her gaze there, she furrowed her brows at the sight. "What's she doing here?" she muttered under her breath. Upon the ground, the figure of a beautiful priestess dressed in a white haori and red hakama with black hair elegantly tied back in a white ribbon walked calmly towards Naraku's barrier. Kikyou was a strange woman in Kagura's eyes. She posessed so much power and obviously hated Naraku, yet she had freely given them a large fragment of the Shikon No Tama. Naraku had strengthened his barrier, surely her powers were no match for it now? Pausing her flight, she waited and watched as she approached the barrier.

Kikyou paused her walk just before it. She raised her hand up to it and closed her eyes. She remained motionless for some time until suddenly her expression grew intense and angry and her arm stiffened. With a strange whine-like howl, a scrap of the barrier finally gave away just wide enough for her to walk through unharmed. Kagura stared darkly in surprise, but followed the priestess through the barrier. Once on the other side, she followed Kikyou slowly as the two of them approached the castle.

Though the outside of the barrier showed vast land of lush forests, inside the barrier was a barren land full of dust and skeleton bones. In the middle was a castle, obviously abandoned, with a foul demonic aura swirling heavily around it. The discouraging sight clearly did not affect Kikyou whatsoever as she confidently strode forward. When arriving at the castle doors, she grimaced slightly at the miasma, but did nothing else besides walking straight through. Kagura leaped off her feather and landed softly on the ground. Her feather shrunk back to its normal size and drifted back down to her outstretched hand. Putting it back into her hair, she slowly followed the miko into the castle. Kikyou showed no sign of recognition that Kagura followed and travelled surely through the castle halls as if she knew where exactly she was going.

Soon Kikyou stopped in front of large sliding doors with the usual dark silhouette of Naraku behind it. The smaller figure of Kanna stood beside him. With a frown, the miko pushed open the door but did not enter right away. Naraku's eyes were already on her, as if expecting her arrival.

"Ah, Kikyou. What a nice surprise," Naraku said in a cool voice. His smirk was bone-chilling, but Kikyou was not fathomed in the least. She stepped inside and slowly took a few steps towards the demon. Kagura remained further down the hall, watching from a distance.

Kikyou did not answer, but her eyes drifted towards the mirror held in the small pale hands of Kanna. In the glass of the mirror was a perfect view of the battle taking place with Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku. Apparently, Sango had sustained an injury to her leg while Miroku still clutched the wound to his side. Kirara was in her transformed stage and stood over Kohaku who lay on the ground, her paws on his shoulders. InuYasha and the others had just arrived at the scene as well. Even as she watched, Kohaku flipped his kusari-gama and struck it into Kirara's left paw, causing her to growl in pain and back away. Kohaku rose to his feet, but when as his weapon spun in the air, Kikyou drew her eyes away from the battle.

Pulling her gaze back up at Naraku, she spoke calmly. "What have you done to the boy, Kohaku? I sensed him earlier, but the jewel in his back had a different feel than it usually does. Unless I am mistaken, you have put a darker taint on it, have you not?"

Naraku chuckled darkly. "And if I had? What could it possibly mean to you? I was under the impression that you were only concerned for InuYasha, not his friend's brother." His right fist shifted slightly as if he were moving something in his hand.

By now her eyes were upon his fist and her frown strengthened. "An imitation jewel shard? That is how you are controlling him?"

His smile could have drawn ice out of the ground on a summer's day. "Indeed, Kikyou. You have guessed correctly."

Kagura's eyes widened in surprise as Kikyou let out a small laugh. "Naraku, you have indeed grown more powerful than the last time I've seen you. To create incarnations of yourself is one thing, but to create a connection to a jewel shard using an fake is quite extraordinary. But if you are so powerful, why did you need to put a taint on the true jewel shard? Was it because this connection is still not yet strong enough to do something or are you trying to hide something else?"

She took a step closer, ignoring Naraku's frown. Kikyou's own smile had vanished long before, but her face was still calm while she slowly tried to unravel this mystery. "You used this connection to overcome Kohaku's soul, yes? Normally it would be more than powerful enough to make him an eagerly obedient dog, but something got in the way and you had to strengthen it. Was it because Kohaku's spirit was still not completely subdued? Was it because Kohaku was rebelling against your orders, even when his entire mind and memory was wiped?"

The edges of Naraku's eyes thinned and his frown was on the verge of a snarl. "Do not pretend to understand me, Kikyou. I killed you once before and I can do it again, and this time you will not be able to return from the dead."

Kikyou laughed once more, but her eyes still showed calm anger. "That is where you are wrong, Naraku. I do understand you, more than you realize. And do not bother trying to frighten me with threats, I have no fear for death." She took a step closer and raised her hand to him as she had done with his barrier.

Naraku allowed a small chuckle. "Do you intend to try and kill me, Kikyou?"

"Not at all, Naraku. I do not plan on killing you, yet. What I do plan on doing concerns something else," she answered. Suddenly she drew her hand away from his direction, but pointed it at his right fist instead. A small sphere of bright light exploded from her palm and enveloped his hand. Naraku let out a soft cry of surprise and drew back his hand, eyes flashing and mouth twisted in a snarl.

Once the ball of light vanished, something fell from its heart and onto the floor. It was the imitation jewel shard, its dark aura swirling in agony around it. Naraku stared at Kikyou angrily through narrow eyes, obviously understanding what she had done. The fake jewel fragment's aura began to fade and the fragment itself was crumbling away. Kikyou watched it until the very last particle of dust vanished from sight. Kanna's mirror began to shake and the image of the battle blackened randomly. Finally the view gave was into pitch-black shadow.

Snarling, Naraku rose to his feet. Kikyou met his gaze defiantly, not a single speck of fear anywhere. "Is that what you came here for? To cut the bond between myself and Kohaku?" Kikyou didn't answer. "You are a strange woman, Kikyou. You claim that you care only for InuYasha, yet you helped me gain my power and then helped that pathetic demon slayer regain her brother. What is it you are trying to do?"

Surprisingly, a small warm smile appeared on Kikyou's face. "I am trying to do the same thing that I have always been trying to do. Unfortunately, you would never be able to understand it, even if I told you." With that, Kikyou turned away from Naraku and walked out of his chamber as calmly as she had entered. Naraku stared after her in fury, but did nothing to stop her. Kagura also watched carefully as Kikyou passed her by in the hall, but the priestess showed no sign that she even realized she was there. Slowly Kikyou vanished from sight as she continued down the hallway and into the shadows.

**With InuYasha...**

After Kirara had been struck by Kohaku's weapon, Kohaku had leaped to his feet and immediately began spinning his weapon over his head. Doing the only thing she could think of, Sango grabbed one of the water bottles she had been filling and thrust it into the air towards the spinning chain-sickle. There was a loud crack of plastic and water spilled down upon them, but the collision had forced the kusari-gama to stop its spin and fall back down. Kohaku's eyes showed no anger at all, he barely seemed to realize that his weapon wasn't in the air anymore.

"We have to get the weapon from him!" Kagome voiced, the bow and arrow in her hands useless against this enemy. InuYasha had his hand on the hilt of the Tetsusaiga, but it was also a useless weapon, he could not use his blade on a human, especially Sango's brother. Shippou was perched on his shoulder.

"How are we supposed to do--" Sango was cut short as Kohaku ran towards her, his arm with the chain-sickle winded back for a blow. Miroku grabbed Sango's arm and pulled her back just as Kohaku swung. The blade came short within inches of Sango's throat. There wasn't another moment for thought as Kohaku dived at Miroku with his weapon above his head.

Miroku pushed Sango out of the way and she fell to the ground. Immediately she began pulling herself back to her feet, but Kohaku had already knocked Miroku to the ground. He was on top of him now. His blade was stuck in mid air as the monk had managed to thrust his hand up and grab Kohaku's wrist, stopping him from bringing the blade down onto his head.

Suddenly Shippou leaped off on InuYasha's shoulder and bounded towards the two of them. Kagome cried out in surprise, but the child kitsune demon kept on. He leaped up onto Kohaku's back and came to his arm. He pushed his hand into his brown vest and pulled something out. With a light grunt, he threw it at Kohaku's wrist. It was the little top that Shippou had once used to trick the Thunder Brothers. It began to grow bigger and Kohaku's wrist shook with effort. Finally when it seemed that the fox magic would drill a hole into his hand, Kohaku let go of the kusari-gama. It fell to the ground with a thump beside Miroku's head. Immediately the top shrank once more and fell away.

Sango took this time to rush forward to pull Kohaku off of Miroku, but something happened in between that made her freeze in her tracks. Kohaku's struggle had suddenly stopped and his body went limp. The normal emotionless eyes he had worn faded away as a light appeared in them. They looked exactly like the eyes Sango had grown up with, the eyes he had worn when Kohaku had been the only owner of his soul. Kagome gasped slightly as she saw the light of the jewel shard in his back brighten, though no one else did.

"Kohaku?" Sango whispered, in shock.

Suddenly Kohaku's eyes closed and his body slid sideways. Sango cried out his name again, but Kohaku had already collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

All finished chapter two. -sigh- At first it wasn't going well because I couldn't decide on the point of view I would start the chapter with, but it ended well enough. I hope you enjoyed it and please review! Thank you! 


	3. Renewed Memories

**His Last Words**

Disclaimer: If I owned even a scrap of InuYasha, I'd be yelling for joy right now. Obviously I'm writing instead. lol

**Chapter 3: Renewed Memories**

"What do you think happened to him?" Kagome asked worriedly. She kept her voice relatively hushed. Kohaku didn't really seem like he was sleeping, but it was a better reason than speaking lowly because he looked as if he were on his deathbed. The boy was a fearsome pale and his breath was unusually slow and weak. Miroku was better, but his face was slightly cringed in pain.

The two of them were laying side by side on pallets while in the shade of an old abandoned hut. Sango and Kagome sat beside them while InuYasha, Shippou, and Kirara waited patiently in a corner. It had really been a stroke of luck that they had found this hut. Otherwise they would have been forced to stay outside until Kohaku awoke and Miroku healed. Kaede's village was too far for Kirara to fly them all back so they had no choice but to stay here.

"I don't know," Sango whispered. She kept her eyes forcibly away from her unconscious brother as if the sight of him so weak was too painful to bear. Miroku seemed unconscious as well, but more so in the manner of a troubled sleep.

Kagome paused for thought before speaking. "Sango...just before Kohaku fell unconscious, I saw the jewel shard in his back glow brighter. When it did I realized that just before, its aura felt...different somehow. I don't know what it was, but it seemed darker and when it glowed, that feeling left." She wished she could look up to Sango's expression to see her reaction, but the demon exterminator was keeping her face strictly downcast.

"You think that Kohaku has been freed of Naraku's grasp." It was not a question, but a statement. Though her face was stoic, Sango's hands shook slightly. It might have been for worry that her words weren't true or hope that they were, Kagome wasn't sure.

The young miko frowned sadly at Sango and nodded. "What else could it be? Kohaku's eyes turned back to normal just before he went unconscious."

"I doubt Naraku would free Kohaku willingly. Especially in the middle of a battle. Something must have happened that cut the bond," InuYasha said calmly, his eyes intently watching the still Kohaku. "Otherwise Kohaku would be dead. I don't think Naraku would have sent him to kill Sango and then just let him go without killing him first. If he did, then Kohaku would remember everything and could spill any secrets Naraku's holding." It was painfully obvious that Naraku had sent Kohaku to kill Sango. If he had been out to kill InuYasha, then he wouldn't have wasted his time fighting Miroku and Sango. He might have been after Miroku, but the group knew that Naraku's style was to prick the heart of his enemies, therefore sending Kohaku after his blood kin instead.

Kagome didn't know what to say. Part of her wished with all her heart that their guess was right and that Kohaku had been freed, but another part said that Kohaku being free would be more painful than it was when he was a prisoner. After all, Kohaku would be living off a jewel shard and he'd constantly be in danger since Naraku would surely try to come and kill him.

Quietly damping a cloth in a bucket of water, Kagome squeezed the excess out before folding it and placing it over Kohaku's forehead. Perhaps it was kinder to simply hope that Kohaku was free so at least Sango could have her brother back. Though he'd still be a prisoner of the jewel in a way, at least his mind would rest for a while. She stole a glance at Sango and frowned sadly. Her friend's eyes were glazed over with tears as she stared at her brother's face. Her hands were tightly gripping her green mo-bakama though she didn't seem to be aware of it.

_'She'll need some time alone to think things through. Kohaku returning to her so suddenly must be a little hard to handle,'_ Kagome thought as she pulled her eyes away, not wanting Sango to catch her watching. _'I can't do anything about Miroku, but I'll just have to get InuYasha and Shippou to leave.' _Pulling her gaze back up, she looked towards InuYasha and Shippou. After a slight sigh and small frown, she picked up the bucket of water and rose to her feet. Sango's face lifted towards her, but Kagome turned to InuYasha and Shippou instead.

Putting on what she hoped was a simple smile, though InuYasha's confused face made her unsure of her success, she cleared her throat. "Shippou, could you come with me to change some of this water?" The kitsune child blinked but nodded and got to his feet. "InuYasha, I think I'll need more firewood to warm the water. Go and cut some up, would you?" The hanyou opened his mouth to argue, but Kagome cut him off with a, "Thanks!" and strode past him out the door. As planned, the hanyou had no choice but to follow, Shippou trailing behind him.

Once outside, InuYasha managed to put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, making her twirl around to face him. "What was that about, Kagome?" he asked gruffly.

"You idiot! Can't you tell that Sango is having some trouble accepting what just happened? Kohaku comes out of nowhere and attacks her, becomes free of Naraku, and falls unconscious! Don't you think she'd be a little confused right now? She needs some time to herself! Sometimes I don't know if you are just being ignorant or if you truly don't have a clue about other people's feelings! You don't have to cut wood if you don't want to, but just keep away from the hut for a little!" she scolded in a low tone as to not let Sango hear. Without waiting for an answer, she whirled around and angrily strode down towards the path carved through the forest that led to the river. Shippou blinked and raced after her, leaving a bewildered InuYasha.

Inside the hut, Sango still gazed towards the door after Kagome and the others had left. She wasn't really confused about why they had gone, she had known that Kagome was trying to give her some time alone, even if she hadn't heard Kagome's attempt to scold InuYasha quietly. Turning her head away, she sighed softly, deciding to accept Kagome's gift and use this time to think.

Despite this decision, Sango found her mind strangely quiet. Instead of thinking over what had happened with her brother, she simply gazed down at him for several minutes. He looked exactly as he had the day her father had told him he was ready to go into his first battle with a demon, except for the fact that he was a lot paler at the moment. His expression was a depressed one as if his mind was dreaming of mournful things, yet there were no tears. Just simple sadness. Instead, a tickling sensation began in her own nose, signalling the coming of tears. Blinking hard, she forced herself not to let them loose. She remembered how once Kohaku's face had been smiling widely, laughing as the two of them played in the pastures near their village. The bright glow in his cheeks was long gone, she was surprised she could even remember how it had looked. It had been long ago, too long.

_'I don't know if you truly are free of Naraku, Kohaku, but all I can do is hope. Please live, Kohaku. I can't do anything else for you than pray,'_ she thought. _'Kagome understands, she's probably the only one. I know that InuYasha and Miroku and Shippou all understand as well, but Kagome...she seems to realize that you being free might not be the best thing. She hasn't said anything, but she doesn't have to. It's obvious that she thinks it would be hard for you having to live depending on a jewel fragment. It would be hard for me too...'_ Her eyes were closed, but she didn't remember closing them. _'Am I being selfish wanting you to live like this? Would it be more merciful to let you die? I don't know what I would do if you died, but leting you live like this seems just as hard. I can't kill you, that would be even worse. I know that now.'_ Her minds eyes flashed back to when she had almost killed Kohaku herself and InuYasha had stopped her. Had she truly thanked him properly yet? _'Oh Kohaku, I don't know what to do. I wish father was still alive. I wish Naraku had never been born. I wish someone could tell me the right thing to do.'_

"Sango?" whispered a faint voice. Her eyes poped open and only then did she realize that she was still sitting beside Miroku in the little abandoned hut they had found. Dropping her eyes down, she met the gaze of Miroku. He still looked half-asleep and the pain wasn't all gone from his face, but there was no mistaking the worry in his eyes. "Sango, why are you crying?" the houshi whispered.

She suddenly became aware of how damp her cheeks were. Had she really been crying this much? Having no idea how to answer, she drew her eyes away and stared at her clutched hands, sniffing and trying to lessen the tear flow.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Miroku glance the other way and spot Kohaku laying beside him. Turning his head back, he watched her steadily. Surprisingly, a small grin appeared on his face. "I suppose they are tears of joy?" Sango sharply raised her gaze at him and stared in shock. As if reading her thoughts, he continued, "Yes, tears of joy. Kohaku is back with you, isn't he? Unless my guess is incorrect, he's been freed from Naraku. That would mean that his memory will return once he wakes. Surely that is something a sister would be happy about?"

Sango blinked uncertainly, surprised that his simple words had helped her tear flow stop. She half-wished she could pull her eyes away from his own, but found herself unable to. The simple grin on the monk's face never faded as he watched her. A tiny grunt escaped him as he shifted his right hand and placed it over Sango's clutched hands. Though he was very weak at the moment and the pain had not completely vanished from his face, the touch of his hands warmed her own immediately. Her hands weren't the only things that warmed. Her face heated heavily into a deep crimson. Part of it was from the tenderness of Miroku's words, and part was from the recent memory of bandaging the wound on the side of his chest. She was not used to bandaging him and so she had blushed through the whole thing while stubbornly avoiding both Miroku's and Kagome's eyes.

Finally her gaze seem to come free and she pulled her eyes away from Miroku's and set them on the floor beside her. Even then she could see Miroku's smile widen lightly before he withdrew his hand. It was barely a minute later when the two of them suddenly heard a low groan from Kohaku. Both sets of eyes flashing towards him, they held their breaths, waiting to see if he had awoken.

It seemed like eternity crawled past them as they watched and waited. Sango had half-risen as if waiting for a sign from her brother to allow her to spring up and dash to his side. Miroku was just as still. Soon another groan escaped Kohaku's pale lips and his face darkened in a grimace. Slowly his eyelids parted to reveal warm brown. They had the same human light in them that had appeared only for a brief moment before he had collapsed. Widening his eyes, Kohaku blinked for a moment as if struggling to remember where he was. Finally realizing he was not alone, he turned his head towards the houshi and taijiya. He barely spared a glance at Miroku and as soon as seeing Sango, his eyes locked onto her. Sango felt herself stiffen. A moment before she had been ready to spring to his side, but now she wasn't sure if her knees would hold out.

"Sango..." Kohaku whispered hoarsely.

The word acted as a trigger and her strength returned. She wanted to jumped over Miroku and grab her brother in her arms and cry until she died, but instead she forced herself to slowly rise to her feet. Circling around Miroku, she kneeled beside her brother, their eyes never parting. "K-Kohaku?" Sango stuttered, surprised her voice had even managed to come out.

"Sango...I..." He trailed off for a moment to take a deep breath. Tears began forming in his eyes. "I remember."

Blinking away tears she didn't remember coming, she reached down to embrace her brother the same time he sat up a little to do the same. They clung to eachother soundlessly, but cheeks already damp with tears. At first Kohaku's face was a bewildered calm, but slowly it grew clenched with a furious sadness as the memories strengthened. Unconsciously his fingers began to dig into Sango's back in fury at himself, at the memories, at Naraku. Sango completely ignored it, her face a pitiful sadness for her brother.

Kohaku opened his mouth as if to say something, but as if sensing what he was about to say, Sango cut him off. "Hush, little brother," she whispered soothingly, "It's okay. Everything will be all right. I promise..." Kohaku's lips closed once more and the two of them fell into silence.

Their eyes and ears closed to anything except each other, they didn't notice the kitsune child poke his head into the hut and dart back out. A moment later he, InuYasha, and Kagome returned inside and quietly sat watching. The day grew darker and the shadows lengthened. Light from the moon began to illuminate their little hut and stars glittered, but the two siblings inside knew only each other.

**The following morning...**

"Do you think he knows?" Kagome's voice sounded a little stressed.

"How the Hell should I know? It's not like there's any reason Naraku would have told him," InuYasha answered gruffly.

The morning was as bright as the day before, though a little mocking considering the heavy atmosphere among the group. The hanyou was sprawled out on the branch of an oak just outside the hut. His hands here folded behind his head and one leg hung leisurely off the side. Kagome sat at the base of the tree, hands fiddling with her skirt. Shippou sat beside her, sucking on a little cherry lollipop Kagome had treated him to.

"Well we'll find out sooner or later, won't we? I mean, Sango will have to talk to him about what he remembers," Shippou commented. "Kohaku has a right to know that he's only alive because of a jewel shard and Sango understands that. Most likely she'll tell him, no problem."

Still, Kagome found herself frowning at her skirt. She sighed heavily and climbed to her feet. "Where are Sango and Kohaku now anyway?"

"I think Miroku said Sango took him for a walk to the river. She said it would be best for him to try walking a little, since cutting him away from Naraku made him weaker," Shippou answered. "Kirara went with them to make sure they stay safe."

Kagome glanced to the right where the thin path leading from the hut cut through the forest and wound towards the river. Her frown still on her face, she sighed and turned away. She knew she should be happy that Kohaku was back with Sango once more, but something about this whole event made her uneasy, yet she couldn't pinpoint the reason.

Away from the group, Kohaku limped along the riverbank with one arm over Sango's shoulders. He wore a determined face, but sorrow and anger dwelled just out of sight. His foot stumbled a bit, but before he barely began to fall, Sango grabbed him tighter and hoisted him back upright. His forehead was cloaked with sweat for effort, but Sango looked at ease, though a little worried.

"Do you want to rest a little?" Sango asked carefully.

"No, let's keep going," Kohaku answered stubbornly.

Sango frowned a little sadly. "Don't push yourself too hard. You have plenty of time to recover."

At first she thought Kohaku was going to refuse again, but found him relaxing his muscles. Taking this as an answer, Sango slowly lowered him to the ground into a sitting position. Kirara bounded up to his side and into his lap as if trying to cheer him up. Sango took a seat beside him as well. A few minutes past while Sango waited for her brother to rest. Finally she opened her mouth to ask if he was ready for another try when he spoke.

"Sango...did...did father say anything before I..." he trailed off, unable to say the words. Sango understood.

"No, not really. There wasn't a lot of time for anything," she answered cautiously, though knowing where this was going long before it started.

Kohaku lowered his gaze so his bangs concealed his eyes. "It's my fault isn't it? I k-killed him..." He turned his head away from her as if Sango was living proof of his crime. "If I hadn't been so weak...so afraid...then Naraku wouldn't have been able to take control of me."

"Don't be silly. It could have happened to anyone."

Kohaku suddenly flashed his gaze back at her in a strange fury that Sango didn't recognize in her brother. "But it didn't! It happened to me! Naraku chose to control me because he knew I was the weakest of the demon slayers!"

Sango blinked, but couldn't manage to keep the sad frown from her face. Ashamed, she looked away from her brother. In the corner of her eye, she saw Kohaku frown at himself from yelling at her and look away as well.

"Kohaku, it was not your fault. If you say it is one more time I'll..." Her voice held none of the anger her voice implied. Infact, it sounded more like a calm plea. "Kohaku, blaming yourself will not change anything. Father and everyone from our village are all dead and there's nothing we can do that will change that. Saying it was your fault will only make yourself weaker, which is exactly what Naraku wants. Don't let him win again...I don't want to lose you again..."

Kohaku had turned his face back towards her, though his sister had not. _'Win again? Does that mean Naraku will come after me? But why?'_ he thought. "Sango, you're keeping something from me. I know it. What is it?"

Suppressing a wince, Sango looked back up at him. She couldn't avoid it now. She would have to tell him. "Kohaku, I doubt Naraku ever told you but..." She trailed off, searching for the right words. "Kohaku, if it wasn't for Naraku, you'd be dead."

Kohaku's eyes widened unbelievably wide. "W-what?"

"He...he put a fragment of the Shikon No Tama in your back. It's the only thing keeping you alive. Now that you are free from his grasp and have your memory back, he'll probably come after you for it." She was surprised her voice wasn't shaky.

Turning his gaze away, he stared at the rumbling waters of the river. He should be screaming, he should be running. Anything but sitting here and staring. His insides felt numb as if all the blood in his body had frozen. "Is that how he was controlling me? W-with the jewel shard?"

She dropped her gaze as well. "I don't know," she answered sadly.

Suddenly a hazed image flashed in his mind. A scrap of memory he hadn't remembered fully yet. Naraku sat in the middle of a room as he knelt in front of him. A tiny jewel shard glittered just before Kohaku's hand as if he placed it there. Kagura was standing behind him. He knew Naraku had said something in that memory that would answer his question, but he could not remember any of the dialogue. Still, something nagged at him that told him his suspicion was true. Naraku _had_ controlled him using the jewel shard.

Kohaku opened his mouth to say so to Sango, but something stopped him. _'Wait...if Naraku controlled me using the jewel shard and the jewel shard is what he wants back, does that mean he will try to reach me through it?'_ Naraku would try to regain his control over Kohaku. Somehow, Kohaku knew it. _'But that means that Sango is in danger. Every minute I'm beside her like this is a minute that Naraku might come for me. I can't let that happen. Not now that I remember Sango is my sister. I can't...'_ Sango looked so worried and sorrowful, though her eyes were locked upon the hands she cupped in her lap. _'I'll have to escape from her. From all of them. It's the only way for Sango to be safe...'_ Looking down at his own lap he saw Kirara sleeping soundly in his nap. _'But how can I escape if I am so weak? I could barely take two steps without Sango.'_ A faint sigh escaped his lips and he glanced back up at his sister. _'I'll have to wait a little longer. Until I'm strong enough. At least for now, I'll try to enjoy my time with Sango.'_

"Sango?" he said quietly. He would have to say his goodbye now. Just to be on the safe side.

"What is it?" she asked, looking back up at him.

He let another sigh loose. "Sango, if...if anything ever happens to me...I just want you to know that I love you and that I'm very thankful for everything you've done for me. Even when I was under Naraku's spell, you had faith in me that I would come free some day. I remember that now." A small smile appeared on his face.

"Don't speak of such nonsense," she said sternly. Why was he saying this? She knew Naraku would try something to get the jewel back, but why say goodbye now? She refused to listen to this. It hurt too much. Even the smallest thought that she would lose her brother again, especially after so short a time in reunion stabbed her heart like a dagger. Yet what if it was true? What if something happened, maybe even today, that would tear her brother away from her? She knew there was a possibility, but still her soul revolted against it.

"I promise nothing will happen to you, Kohaku. I'll take care of you," she said softly, circling her arm around her brother's shoulders and placing her head lightly against his.

* * *

All done! A little longer than my first two chapters, but hopefully that's a good thing. lol Please review! 


	4. A Hissing Whisper

**His Last Words**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the manga or anime show InuYasha.

**Chapter 4: A Hissing Whisper**

Five days passed as the group remained at the small abandoned hut. Five days of constant practicing as Kohaku struggled to regain his full strength. It returned somewhat swiftly, to the group's satisfaction. Each morning, Kohaku would work for an hour at a time trying to hold himself up and take a few steps. At first he needed Sango to balance, but by the second day he was considerably healthier. The colour returned to his cheeks and the dread that surrounded him lifted somewhat. By the third day, he could walk confidently on his own, if only for a few steps. On the fourth he grew stronger yet and by the fifth he was well enough to join the group in their travels. If truth were told it was a miracle how quickly he had healed, yet it was a burden to Kohaku since every minute was one in fear of Naraku's return.

Still, the others were unaffected by the fear Kohaku kept secret. Sango was all smiles every time she helped or watched Kohaku walk. It was a proud grin, like a mother deer nudging her young as they tested their wobbly legs.

In those five days, Miroku had also managed to heal. Kagome's remedies had worked wonderfully and he was strong enough to move about as usual. The only flaw was a scar on his side from the chain-sickle that refused to fade. One morning Sango saw it while Kagome was exchanging bandages and she grew mellow. She recognized the same scar from her own back when Kohaku had first been taken under Naraku's control.

Relieved that Kohaku and Miroku were both able to continue their travels at last, the group prepared to leave. InuYasha and Shippou had determined smiles, but Sango still held a face of worry.

"Are you sure you're ready to travel, Kohaku?" Sango asked. It was a few hours past noon, but if they started now then there was a chance of finding a village before nightfall.

Kohaku nodded with a slight frown. Despite his wonderful progress, he had barely cracked a single smile in the past few days. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Well let's get going then," InuYasha said with crossed arms in front of his chest. His golden eyes were focused on the north and west where they had originally been heading. "We've wasted too much time staying here."

"InuYasha!" Kagome hissed dangerously. The hanyou flinched as if expecting to be sat at any moment, but nothing came.

Kohaku didn't seem to have noticed anything. Instead, he was studying his feet as if trying to find certain words to speak. Finally he looked up at Sango. "Sister, could...could we go to our old village? Just for a visit?" 'Old' came out in a small croak. Clearly it was still a little hard for Kohaku to speak of his previous home in that way.

InuYasha frowned and opened his mouth to argue, but Kagome elbowed him in the ribs. He glared at her, which she returned in cold defiance and succeeded in making his ear twitch uncomfortably and turn away.

"Of course," Sango answered warmly. "It's in our direction anyway," she added, more so to InuYasha than anyone else, though she didn't look at him.

Miroku had tried contacting Hatchi a few days ago, but the tanuki was nowhere to be found. Without his help, the group was forced to rely on Kirara for transportation. Sango and Kohaku and Shippou would go first followed by InuYasha, Kagome, and Miroku. Quickly Sango and Kohaku grabbed their packs and mounted the transformed neko youkai. After a few quick farewells, Kirara tore into the sky and sped towards the direction of the demon slayer's village.

"They better hurry up," InuYasha growled, not a minute after the others left. "I want to cover some good ground before it gets too dark." The hanyou retook his favourite seat in the tree beside the hut.

"There will be no chance for that, InuYasha," Kagome said casually as she sat down on a step to the hut porch. InuYasha jumped up into a sitting position to stare down at her. On the other hand, Miroku seemed completely at peace with whatever Kagome was saying.

"And why the Hell not?"

Kagome looked at him calmly. "They need some time alone, obviously."

"Time alone! They got enough of that when they were here!" he objected with a frown.

Finally her calm gaze slipped into a glare. "Don't tell me you're that stupid, InuYasha! What do you think Kohaku wanted to go to their old village for! He wants to visit his family's graves! He'll need time to get used to the memory that Naraku forced him to kill his own father!"

"He should be used to it already! Didn't Sango talk to him about that stuff?"

"Obviously she told him! It would be too cruel not to, especially now that his memory's returned. But Kohaku still hasn't accepted it yet," she answered stiffly.

InuYasha fell silent with a sigh. Arguing with Kagome was like trying to move a mountain with your bare hands. The hanyou lay back against the tree trunk once more.

A few moments of waiting passed. Then Kagome began eyeing Miroku, who was strangely still and quiet. "Miroku, is everything okay? You've been very quiet these last few days," she commented with a curious blink at him.

Miroku looked up from the ground to her. "What? Oh, yes. I'm fine. Just thinking, I suppose." Kagome frowned, concern in her eyes. Sango had been so busy with Kohaku the past few days; Miroku had probably felt a little lonely. Though knowing that houshi, he would never say anything to Sango. He wanted her to enjoy her time with Kohaku and that meant keeping his feelings secret. He hadn't said a word of it to anyone, but to Kagome he might as well have come out and said it straight to her face.

**With Sango...**

The wind pushed at them fiercely as Kirara flew through the air, flames trailing at her paws. It nearly threatened to push Sango and Kohaku clear off their seats if Sango hadn't been so used to the struggle until she didn't even feel it. Shippou was asleep in Sango's lap, oblivious to the dark mood that was over them. The landscape shifted swiftly below them from the thick forest and the winding river to wide plains with small bushes to small hills with random groves of trees.

For what seemed like the tenth time, Sango opened her mouth to say something to her little brother, but closed it again. _'He's been troubled these past few days,' _she thought. _'He's barely smiled or spoken at all. I hope he's all right.'_

"Sango?" Kohaku murmured quietly. Sango snapped away from her thoughts to listen. "Sango, what happened to the village? Why did everyone else die?"

She blinked in surprise. She thought he had known, but slowly she realized that there was no way for him to have found out. Naraku wouldn't have told him and he didn't have any memories concerning it. She certainly had never said anything about it. "Well, when we were all called away that night," there was no need to explain which night, "Naraku told the demons of the mountains that we were gone. They came and attacked the village. All of the best demon slayers were with us, so they didn't have much protection and everyone died."

He nodded slowly, his face turned away from hers. "Why didn't Naraku do it himself? He's so powerful it would have been easy for him." It felt strange speaking so freely of the catastrophe.

Sango shared the same feeling, but she did better in masking it. "Naraku uses trickery to defeat his enemies. If there is a way to do that without him having to lift a finger, he would use it," she explained. "But even now that Naraku has recreated his body and has most of the jewel shards, he still uses trickery like this." She shifted her gaze to the sky, the faces of her friends momentarily in her mind's eye. "We've been fighting him for so long, trying to defeat him, but we still sometimes fall for his devious plots..." Her voice was distant like she was speaking more to herself than Kohaku.

Kohaku looked at her with a twinge of regret. "I wish I could help you find a way to destroy him, but I don't remember him saying anything to me that would help... All I know is that he absorbs demons into his body to gain their strength and uses his barrier to hide himself."

"Yes, he absorbs demons and remakes his body so it'll be stronger. It's because of that no matter how many times we try to destroy him, he'll just reform his flesh..." Sango muttered to herself. He absorbs demons...why did the thought make her shiver like that?

He nodded but didn't say another word. Silence swallowed them again for roughly an hour and a half. They stopped for a small break in a clearing below so Kirara could rest a bit. Shippou then woke up, but sensing the mood, stayed quiet. Soon they were in the sky once more. The following two hours were heavily filled with quiet, though the dark feel of it lifted a bit. Below them the plains suddenly became short jagged mountains, which steadily grew taller and bolder by the mile.

Finally Kirara began to descend towards a small village with destroyed houses and a wall circling it. The entrance was torn down, but had been repaired a little on one of the group's previous visits. Even from this height the small clearing of graves was visible.

Once they landed, they entered the grounds and took shelter in the hut the group had repaired beforehand. Leaving their packs there, Sango and Kohaku left the hut to go to the gravesite. Shippou remained behind to make a snack while Kirara took flight again back the way she came. Soon her large form was a speck in the distance.

Sango watched her little brother sadly as his eyes lay locked upon the distant graves. There were no tears, but the feel of sadness and regret was strong in his gaze. Once they stood at the foot of the first grave, Kohaku asked if she could name each person that lay there. She frowned sadly, but agreed. As they passed each, Sango gently said each name, watching Kohaku as he calmly nodded and gazed at it for a moment as if remembering the face of that person.

"This is father's," she said simply, her voice almost a croak. The small bundle of flowers she had left on his grave was long dead, the yellow petals pushed away by the wind.

Kohaku slowly bent down on his knees beside the grave. Sango did the same. Placing a hand on the soil, Kohaku lowered his face so his bangs covered his eyes. "I'm sorry," Sango heard him whisper. Her sad frown deepened as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He cringed slightly at her touch, but relaxed after a moment. He had done the same when she had held him while he practiced walking. It was a question she wouldn't dare ask, in fear of the answer as well as his reaction.

"Sister?" he said softly. She looked up at him. "Could I be alone for a while?" His lips stayed parted for a moment longer as if he were about to say something else, but he changed his mind and closed it.

Leaving him alone wasn't something she was too thrilled about, but he deserved some time alone the same way she had when she had first visited her father's grave. She patted his back slightly, but then stood up once more and began making her way back to the hut. As soon as she was turned, Kohaku looked up at her and watched her leave, clueless to his true desire for being alone.

_'Now's my chance to run away,'_ he thought bitterly. _'I don't want to do it, but if I don't, then Sango will be hurt and that would be even worse.' _His eyes wandered around his father's grave and he unconsciously stroked the soil as if trying to comfort himself with his father's presence. _'Father, I'm no more alive than you are. If it weren't for the jewel shard, I'd be with you right now. I had another chance at life and I won't waste it. I was weak before and you died because of it. I'm stronger now and I'll make sure Sango is safe...'_

A chill suddenly ran through his spine and made him look up from his father's grave. He turned slightly at the feeling of a presence behind him. His eyes widened in shock as a tall man wearing a white baboon suit sneered down at him.

**With InuYasha...**

Miroku paced back and forth in front of the old hut. Kagome still sat on the step, her eyes full of worry as she watched him. InuYasha had left his tree branch, but was sitting at the base of it instead. His arms were crossed and his face set at a frown, his eyes closed and his fingers tapping against his sleeve.

"Will you stop that already?" he growled at Miroku.

The houshi froze his walk in surprise and looked up at InuYasha. He raised a hand and ran his fingers through his short black hair nervously, which was strange for Miroku who was always the heart of calm and reserve. "I'm sorry, I've just been...thinking..." he said slowly.

"About what?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Well...about Kohaku mostly. Him and Naraku," he answered, lowering his hand. "Something's been on my mind the past few days and I just can't figure it out..." He turned away to look to the Northwest where Kirara had vanished into the sky. They had been gone for nearly four hours now.

"What do you mean?" Kagome said cautiously.

"Kohaku bond to Naraku was cut off, that we know, but I can't figure out how. I studied the nature of demons long ago, about how powerful demons are capable of some things like creating new demons or puppetry. According to that, for Naraku to control Kohaku, he must have had some kind of connection to him. It had to be physical because demon minds cannot tie such strings to human minds without feeling pain unless they had something to control them through."

"Where are you going with this, Miroku?" InuYasha said, his golden eyes open and carefully listening to the monk's words.

Miroku frowned and swung his eyes back to InuYasha and Kagome. "The sacred jewel shard in Kohaku's back. Naraku put it there, remember? That has to be how he was controlling Kohaku, it's the only physical connection to Naraku we know of."

"So Naraku controlled Kohaku through the jewel shard. What does that matter?" InuYasha argued.

"InuYasha," Miroku said slowly, pausing to let out a tense breath. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. "Naraku will want the jewel shard Kohaku has. He won't hesitate to harm Kohaku like we have just because he is Sango's brother. So if Naraku wants the jewel shard and that is how he was controlling Kohaku, then--"

"He will remake the bond between Kohaku and himself!" Kagome cut in, her eyes wide with fear.

"Yes," Miroku continued, "If Naraku gets hold of Kohaku, then he can take control of him again. Once that happens, who knows what he will do with Kohaku?"

Both InuYasha and Kagome were on their feet by this point, though they didn't remember standing. "We've got to reach them!" InuYasha said.

"But how? Kirara's still with them! It'll take her at least two more hours to reach us and then another three for us to reach them!" Kagome put in. She darted her eyes to the Northwest as if hoping with all her might to see Kirara's form flying towards them. The sky was clear, not even a cloud in sight.

"Of all the days for Hatchi to disappear," Miroku hissed under his breath, his face was twisted in anger and his hand was shaking slightly as he grasped his staff.

**With Sango...**

"N-Naraku!" Kohaku breathed shakily as if he had been punched in the stomach. That sneering smile parted to into a toothed-snarl.

"Kohaku, I gave you the mercy of forgetting your _terrible_ past and the first thing you do when your leash is cut is to run? I was under the impression that I had trained you to be a much more faithful dog." That voice was the same as he remembered, like a cold knife slowly sliding between your ribs.

"I remember now, Naraku! I know it was you that made me kill my father! You were the one that made everyone in my village die! You made me try to kill Sango!" Kohaku's voice was somewhat steadier now, the fury within his heart bubbling to the top.

Naraku's laugh was like a gust of sharp cold wind to Kohaku's mind. "Why put the blame on me, Kohaku? Will that revive your father or friends? You were too weak to fight me and you know it as the truth. Even now I can see your thoughts, even if your bond to me was temporarily cut."

Kohaku blinked. "Temporarily?" he said quietly.

The demon laughed again. "Do not tell me you did not expect me to try and take control of you again? You may be a disgusting human, but you were useful."

"I'm stronger now, Naraku! I'm stronger! I won't let you use me! I won't let you harm Sango!" he yelled, hands curling into fists. One hand slipped to handle of his kusari-gama. Before his fingers had even touched the bone, a leathery dark green vine lashed out from under the rim of the white baboon suit and ensnared Kohaku's throat.

"You still think you can withstand me? I, Naraku, who have nearly the whole jewel and power beyond anything you can imagine? You are nothing but a foolish boy, a tool for me to use. I _will_ have you under my control!" he hissed and lifted Kohaku into the air.

Kohaku gasped for breath, but none came. He grabbed at the vine with his free hand as if trying to pull himself away. With his other, he pulled the kusari-gama free and stabbed the vine with its tip. The vine ripped apart and he fell to the ground. Immediately he tore the remainder of the vine around his neck off and tossed it aside. Naraku drew closer as he scrambled to his feet.

"You cannot run," he said coldly. Kohaku felt another vine ensnare his ankles and he fell to the ground. The vine grew and climbed up his body, forcing the kusari-gama out of his hand as Kohaku was raised into the air. The bone blade fell to the ground with a thump.

"You cannot run," he repeated, the sound of a grin in his voice. The vines had encircled his throat once more, making him unable to speak. From the corner of his eye, he saw a hand come out of the white suit and draw towards his back. Something gleamed in his fingers. It looked like the sacred jewel shard, yet had a darker colour to it. _'An imitation shard!'_ Kohaku thought.

Before Kohaku could form another thought, he felt the fake jewel shard touch the real one in his back. Unbelievable pain shot throughout his body and his limps jerked everyway, though the vines held him tight. What little breath he had wanted to race out in a blood-curdling scream, but the vines never let him.

Finally Naraku pulled the fake shard away. For a moment there seemed to be a tainted light stretching from one shard to the other, but it faded as Naraku enclosed the fake in his fist. He drew the vines away from Kohaku and let him fall down to the ground. Kohaku no longer wanted to scream. He hungrily sucked in air, but he made no motion to run or shout or fight. Once he no longer laboured for breath, Kohaku rose from the ground and turned to face Naraku. The light in his eyes was gone, replaced with a dull brown soulless gaze.

_'Kill Sango,'_ came a voice in Kohaku's mind. There was struggle somewhere in its depths, like someone trying to fight the voice, but it was distant. It was almost as if it belonged to another being. _'Go, kill her,'_ the hissing whisper demanded. The distant struggle in his mind stopped.

**In the hut...**

Bent over a pot of stew she was making for a small meal, Sango barely heard the low rustle from behind her. She began to turn to see if it was Kohaku when the sound of a metal chain clinking met her ears. Almost immediately after her breath was forced out as the sharp edge of a chain-sickle dug into her shoulder.

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That was fun. hehe Sorry it took so long to make, by the way. Thanks for reading and please review! 


	5. Goodbye, Sister

**His Last Words**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the manga or anime show InuYasha.

**Chapter 5: Goodbye, Sister**

Sango let out a pained cry as she fell forward onto her hands and knees. Fists clenched and body shaking, she turned her head towards the kusari-gama in her shoulder. The blade gleamed dangerously in the afternoon light. Looking past it, she saw the figure of her brother standing in the doorframe with the end of the chain in his hand. His eyes were emotionless, the soul nowhere to be seen. They were the same eyes that had struck Sango twice before using the same weapon.

Kohaku pulled on the chain and the blade ripped out of Sango's shoulder. She screamed aloud and collapsed as the kusari-gama was flung back into Kohaku's hand. Not a moment later, she felt it stab her again, this time on the back of her left leg. When it ripped out once more, she shrieked with pain. Struggling to stay conscious, she shakily used her arms to twist herself around onto her back and face her attacker.

"Kohaku...no! You...you have to fight it!" she cried out hoarsely. Naraku had taken control of him again...the thought hurt her almost as much, perhaps more, than the stabs of his blade.

Kohaku raised his weapon again and threw it straight at her face, but Sango managed to slip the hidden dagger she kept in her sleeve out. Just before the blade reached her, she stabbed at it from the side and caused it to miss by a hair. As it collided with the wood floor, she began to push herself to her feet using whatever strength she could muster.She had barely managed to stand for a moment before she looked up to see Kohaku running straight at her with his sword drawn, its blade long and thin. She pulled herself backwards just as he swung, yet she wasn't quick enough to avoid the blade cutting her on her left thigh. She yelled in pain and fell backwards to the floor once more. Not a second later, Kohaku twisted himself backwards and kicked out with his right leg. His heel collided with her right temple.

Sango fell on her side, unconscious. Her eyes closed and her face blanked, but blood still soaked her shoulder, thigh, and leg and tricked down to the floor. Kohaku approached and loomed over her.

_'Kill her,'_ the cold voice demanded. _'Kill her now!'_

There was struggle, somewhere deep in his mind. He could feel it. Fighting it, fighting something. Who was that voice? Why did he want him to kill this woman? He raised his hand with the hilt of the sword clutched in it like a dagger. He held it over the woman, aimed just between her neck and collarbone, a tender spot of the body. Who was she?

_'Kill her!'_ the voice urged.

_'No! I can't kill Sango!'_ he answered. Sango? Why had that name risen from the struggle of his mind? Was the name connected to this woman? What had been the name? The woman...he had a connection to her. Who was she? Why did he resist like this?

_'Kill! Kill her!'_ hissed the cold voice. Cold...so cold...like his eyes. Whose eyes? It was another memory that had risen from the struggle, but melted away as soon as grasped. What had he been thinking of?

A sudden pain erupted from his back. Faced twisted to match it, his arm dropped an inch lower, the tip of the blade grazing the woman's flesh. Fighting it, always fighting... His limbs shook from the effort.

"NO!" he screamed aloud. Spinning around, Kohaku fled from the hut. He fled from the woman laying unconscious on the ground, flows of blood trailing from her.

The voice said nothing, but there was fury. Distant anger twisting his unseen face. Kohaku ran. He ran from everything, blindly fleeing from the village, from the path, from the woman laying unconscious. The pain still hadn't left his back. There was a taint to it, making him want to empty his stomach. He didn't know how long he ran for. Maybe an hour, maybe a year. All he knew was the pain and the struggling forgotten memories and the fury of the being that shared his mind.

_'Kohaku,'_ the voice finally said. Was that his name? Kohaku? _'Take the jewel shard out of your back. Take it out now.'_ His fingers stiffened. It was only then he realized that he still clutched the hilt of the sword. He wanted to throw it, toss it away, but the voice was so strong. He felt his side of the struggle weaken. He had to fight it...but the voice was so strong. He had to fight--the voice's fury began to rise, as did the arm holding the sword. He had to fi--anger, cold anger. His arm rose higher. He had--_'Now,'_ the voice said and his hand twisted to move the edge of the blade towards his back. He--_'Now!'_ the voice urged. The edge of the blade touched the spot where the pain had come from.

**With Sango...**

She felt consciousness return to her, only a moment before the pain returned as well. Letting out a groan, she tried to pinpoint where the pain came from, but she could not. Everything felt numb, as if she had been running for a week straight and collapsed at the end. She strained to open her eyes.

She was on a floor and there were trails of blood leading from her body. Suddenly everything came crashing back to her. Kohaku. His dull soulless eyes. The kusari-gama. It took her a moment to realize that there were tears in her eyes. She would have been dead by now, but she wasn't. Kohaku must have resisted Naraku. That was the only explanation. But then where was he?

"Kohaku!" she called, but nothing stirred. Where was he? Had Naraku taken him back to his castle again? The thought made her want to refresh her flow of tears. Forcing herself as hard as she dared, Sango pushed herself to her knees and then slowly made herself stand. Almost immediately she had to grab the wall from her unsteady feet. Where was Shippou? She prayed he wasn't hurt as well.

Staggering outside, she struggled to remain standing. Stumbling away from the hut, she spotted the kitsune child a little further ahead. He was laying on the ground unconscious. Coming closer, she saw that there was a raw bump on his head and a rock beside him. She sighed in relief, he would be all right. Looking back up, she saw rough footprints in the ground. She didn't need to examine them to know they belonged to Kohaku. Forcing herself to stand once again, she began at a soft jog as she followed the trail. The back of her leg was pounding and stung almost as bad as her shoulder, but she pushed herself on.

Slowly her feet grew steadier and her soft jog melted into a slow run, which in turn grew faster as what little strength she had returned to her. Her eyes flashed wildly, intently watching the footprints, praying that they didn't stop in mid-stride. If they did, it would be plain that Kagura had come on Naraku's orders and stolen Kohaku back. She wasn't sure how long she ran for. Perhaps an hour if not more.

It felt like years were passing as she ran. Her shoulder, thigh, and leg throbbed strongly. The edges of her eyes began to show black spots, but she still pushed herself. She had to find Kohaku. She had to. Her run began to slow as fatigue threw itself against her. Sango struggled to keep going, but it became harder and harder until her run dissipated into a staggered walk.

Finally the scene stretched out before her. Kohaku was on his knees with his face looking down at the ground. One of his arms was raised with a sword in his hand. The tip of the sword was pointed straight at the spot where the jewel shard was. What was he...? _'Naraku wants him to kill himself,'_ she suddenly realized. _'He wants Kohaku to take the jewel shard out!'_

"No..." Sango said hoarsely. Her throat felt so dry. She struggled to push herself towards her brother, but she felt so weak. Her knees gave way and she crumbled to the ground. Still, she pushed herself to her hands and tried to crawl forward. Every breath was laboured. "No..." she said a little more strongly. "Kohaku, please..."

_'You're sister calls you,'_ said the voice in Kohaku's mind. It had a strange quality to it, as if the voice was grinning. For some reason the image of greedily gleeful red eyes flashed in his mind. They seemed to match the voice. He felt his head turn slightly and look up. It was the woman that he had been ordered to kill. The sight of her face pounded at him, the memory nearly beating its way free. There were tears in her eyes that flowed down her damp cheeks.

All of a sudden the struggle stopped. He felt the presence of the voice vanish from his mind and the pain of the jewel shard in his back lessen. The hand holding the sword fell down to the ground and he collapsed to his side. His breath came in and out in great waves. He blinked a few times and a small natural light appeared in them. Kohaku's whole body shook as he slowly raised himself and looked back at Sango.

"Sango..." he said weakly.

"K-Kohaku!" Sango voiced, her voice tone identical to his. "Kohaku...you...I..."

"Sango," Kohaku continued, grimacing. He could feel the voice trying to push its way back into his mind. "Sango...Naraku, he cut me free, just for a moment...he wants me to kill myself, to take the jewel shard out..."

Sango stared at him longingly, she wanted to reach him, but her body was so weak, by the time she reached him, Naraku would have taken over his mind again. He was trying to toy with Sango, a last stab at her heart before he stole her brother away from her for good.

"Sango...I can't hold out much longer..." Spots began to appear in his eyes. He knew there wasn't much time left. He wasn't strong enough to fight anymore. "Sango...this is the...the last t-time...I'll ever see you..."

"No..." Sango whispered, making a final attempt to push herself towards her brother. "No..." she said desperately. Her eyes held so much fear; Kohaku didn't want that to be the last sight of his sister.

Pushing a small smile onto his face, he let out a sigh. "Sango, I love you, I'll always love you..." Naraku's presence was strengthening in his mind. "Even if I die here, I'll be with you always..." His strength weakened and he half-fell onto his left forearm and his breath became increasingly laboured. "Goodbye, sister..." Finally, Kohaku's eyes closed and his face fell forward. He couldn't fight anymore; he didn't have any strength left. Naraku took over his mind once more, and all memory, all thought faded. His right arm twitched and retook the dropped sword hilt.

Sango wanted to scream, to run to him, but she couldn't. Pushing herself with all her might, she desperately tried to crawl to him. "No..." she said shakily. Kohaku began to raise his arm and twisted his hand to aim the blade to his back.

"No..." Sango cried again. He was too far, she couldn't reach him. She had too... Kohaku placed the tip of the blade directly on the jewel shard, his knuckles white against the sword hilt. A tear dropped down from Kohaku's face onto the ground.

"NOO!" Sango shrieked and threw her arm uselessly towards her brother, but it was too late. Kohaku grunted and drove the sword in. The jewel shard sparkled as it came loose and Kohaku fell lifelessly to his side. Sango's shriek echoed through the trees of the woods even as her little brother collapsed, his last breath of life hissing beyond his lips.

Sango knew it was useless at this point, but she still summoned up every scrap of strength she had left in her body to throw herself towards her still brother. Tears streamed down her face in flows and her entire body shook violently. By the time she reached her brother, darkness had already begun to surround them. She pushed herself into a sitting position and gently took her brother into her lap. She cradled his head, pressing him to herself. She rocked back and forth in attempt to sooth herself.

"No...Kohaku...please...please wake up...don't leave me...Kohaku..." she chanted over and over. There was no warmth in his flesh, no pulse in his heart, no breath in his lips. The jewel shard lay beside the sword, forgotten.

From behind her, the figure of Miroku appeared. He stopped a little short of the two, not daring to come closer. His face bowed and his lips moved in silent prayers. Sango continued to clutch her brother, rocking back and forth, sobs racking her body. The sky was a near black; only a few stars awake to lighten its deep weight.

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... -lets out shaky breath- There you have it. Don't know what else to say. Hope it was powerful enough. Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming. One chapter left, so please be patient a little longer. 


	6. Finding Peace

**His Last Words**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the manga or anime show of InuYasha.

**Chapter 6: Finding Peace**

The morning sky showed sign of a bright, cloudless day as the sun rose steadily over the hills. Yet its cheery atmosphere seemed strange, almost mocking, compared to the gloom of the demon slayer's village. The silence was so absolute, it seemed loud to the ears of the small group staying in the repaired hut.

"We came too late," Kagome whispered to herself, hands folded together in front of Shippou, who sat quietly in her lap. Her back was against one of the walls of the hut and her eyes were directed downwards.

"Don't blame yourself, Kagome. It couldn't be helped," said Shippou in attempt to comfort the restless miko. "Even in we came in time, it wouldn't have made a difference." The small kitsune child absent-mindedly fumbled with Kagome's sleeve.

InuYasha shifted in his seat, his eyes closed and face set at a frown. "Shippou's right. If we came in time to stop Kohaku from killing himself, that would have just made a bigger problem. Either he'd go off with Naraku again or Naraku would just keep telling Kohaku the order until it was fulfilled."

Kagome looked up at InuYasha for a moment. There was slight surprise in her eyes, but it slowly melted into regretful agreement. She looked away towards the door. "I still wish we could have helped in some way. Sango's suffering so much..."

InuYasha opened his eyes and moved them to the door as well. Even from here he could see the distant graves of the villagers with Sango crouching beside the newest addition. Her face firmly gazed at the mound of soil, but her eyes were hidden beneath brown bangs.

Though it should have been a warm day, the air was full of powerfully cool breezes that swung the smell of freshly upturned soil and flower buds about. Pink buds clutched in her hands, Sango kneeled beside a newly made mound where the dead body of her younger brother had just been buried. The edges of her eyes were strained in fatigue and sorrow and her hands shook every so slightly. Her brown eyes were glazed over with tears, though not a single drop was spared. It had been hours before Sango's sobs had quieted and now it seemed as if all the tears had been wrung out of her, leaving her with an empty feeling.

_'Everyone's gone now. Father, Kohaku, everyone from our village. I couldn't save them...I couldn't stop their deaths...'_ The thoughts were heavy on her heart; yet not one teardrop was to be seen. Gently Sango reached out and placed the small flower buds on top of Kohaku's grave. _'I promised, Kohaku. I promised to take care of you and make sure nothing would happen to you...'_ Her hand shook unsteadily as she brought it back to her lap. Gaze dropping from his grave, she closed her eyes. _'You were with me, alive and safe with your memory restored. Everything I had wanted. But I still couldn't keep my promise. Oh, Kohaku...'_

She heard soft footfalls nearing and the sound of clinking rings. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see Miroku standing in front of her. His face was completely stoic, though there was sad calm hidden behind his eyes. Kirara sat in his arm bend and mewed softly as Sango glanced at her.

Without a word, Miroku came and sat down on the ground beside her, staff leaning against his shoulder. His eyes were fixed upon the grave before them, still the soul of serenity. After a moment, he closed his eyes and pulled a hand up in prayer, lips moving in silent blessings for Kohaku. Sango watched him, the slight uneasiness she had felt before now gone. Miroku had barely acknowledged her yet, but his simple presence was a small comfort.

A few minutes passed in silence. Finally, Miroku spoke. "Do you wish to be alone, Sango?" His voice was calm, but warm.

Sango blinked and turned her eyes back to Kohaku's grave. "N-no...you can stay if you want..." She shifted her position to sit on her bottom with her knees up to her chin and her arms around her legs.

Miroku nodded and lowered his hand from his prayers. He still didn't turn to her, just sat there quietly. The cold edge of the breezes didn't seem as sharp anymore.

"I couldn't stop him, Miroku..." Sango mumbled, resting her chin on her knees. "I promised to keep him safe, but I couldn't keep it..." Finally Miroku turned to gaze at her. "All this time I've hunted after Naraku to get revenge for our..." she cringed slightly, "...my village, and to free Kohaku from Naraku's grasp, but I couldn't do it. I failed him, and now Kohaku is...he's..." Her face dropped lower, new tears starting to slide down her flushed cheeks.

Sango felt a comforting hand slip around her shoulders. Pulling her face up a bit, she glanced up to lock eyes with Miroku. His expression was sad, but the warmth of him felt so supporting... The houshi remained silent for a few minutes until a sudden friendly smile curled his lips.

Sango blinked in attempt to push her tears away. "Why are you smiling?" she asked. There was no heat in her voice, just simple sad curiosity.

Miroku smile stayed strong as he looked away from her gaze to settle on the soil of Kohaku's grave. There was a bright light in his eyes as he watched the mound. Sango blinked again and waited. Finally, "I'm smiling because Kohaku is at peace. I should think you'd be smiling as well."

_'What?'_ Sango thought, her eyes widening slightly. _'Why should I be happy my brother has died? He was forced to take his own life because I couldn't protect him enough!'_

As though the houshi had heard her thoughts, he continued his explanation. "I can't explain it as well as I would like, but in a way...I've always known that the only way to save Kohaku was for him to die." He now turned to look down at her again. His smile was gone, as well as the light in his eyes. Now his expression was purely serious. "None of us could make him die of course, there would be no honour in killing him to save him. You promised to save him, but it would have been worse if you had actually fulfilled that promise. Instead, Naraku did it for you, however unintentional his actions were. So really, this was the best way for Kohaku to have died. I know that is wrong to say, but at least now Kohaku is completely free from Naraku. He doesn't have to live off a jewel shard anymore. He doesn't have to obey Naraku anymore. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Sango looked away from him, slowly turning his words over in her mind. He _was_ at peace now...and she had also been able to have some time with the old Kohaku as well before he had died. In a way it was what she had wanted...

"I...I think I understand," she said quietly, eyes still firmly away from him. From the corner of her eye she could see Miroku smile a little before turning to face the grave as well. Silence swallowed them again, though it was no longer uncomfortable. It was a peaceful stillness.

_'All this time...Kohaku suffered so much while I made promises to save him. I wanted so much to have him return to the way he was. Become the old Kohaku I grew up with. Now I know that could never happen. Kohaku nearly died when Naraku first controlled him. The only way he could live was with the jewel shard. That's why I could never save him...'_ Sango absent-mindedly leaned her head against Miroku's shoulder, the monk's arm still warmly holding her shoulders. She felt her face heat slightly as she closed her eyes. _'Miroku's right...this was the only way to save Kohaku...to let him die...'_

"I...I just wish Kohaku's death could have been..." She didn't know which word to use without shaming her brother's death. It was an uncomfortable thought and made her despise herself, but the wish was there all the same.

"I know what you mean," Miroku answered softly, surprising Sango. "Did he say anything to you about it?"

Sango shook her head slightly. "No, he never saw or heard anything that could help us defeat Naraku...all he knew was exactly what we know..." _'Naraku absorbs demons into his body to gain their strength and uses his barrier to hide himself...'_ she thought. Why did the thought of Naraku absorbing demons into his body still bring a chill to her spine?

"Don't worry, Sango. We'll find a way to avenge Kohaku." The warm smile had returned to Miroku's face.

Sango smiled back, though her eyes were still glazed over. Only then did she realize what position she was in and her face heated a little more. "Thank you, Miroku..." she whispered. Miroku only nodded in reply.

"I'll leave you alone for a while," he said quietly while placing Kirara down on the ground beside Sango before climbing to his feet. The smile still beamed out for one last moment before he turned from her and began calmly walking back to the hut.

Sango watched after him for a few moments. When she looked down at a mewing Kirara and scratched her head, it suddenly came to her. She was no longer cold. The cool breezes that had pushed at her tears had stopped, leaving her pleasantly warm. It was not only her body that had regained that warmth, but her spirit as well. The heavy depression that had torn sobs out of her for hours upon hours was gone, replaced by a calm peaceful acceptance. Though tears were still in her eyes, her face was smiling and cheeks glowing as she gazed down at Kohaku's grave. The pink flower buds seemed fresh and alive, just like Kohaku's soul as it formed a picture of his laughing face in her mind. He was at rest now. She had saved her brother, one way or another.

His last words drifted back into her mind...

_"Sango...I can't hold out much longer..." The strength seemed to melt from his body. "Sango...this is the...the last t-time...I'll ever see you..."_

_"No..." she whispered, trying to push herself towards her brother. "No..." she repeated, the desperation clear in her voice. Her body shook with the fear that was over-taking her._

_Kohaku smiled softly, letting out a sigh. "Sango, I love you, I'll always love you..." A cringe of pain crossed his face. "Even if I die here, I'll be with you always..."_

The words no longer stung. Even at his dying moment, Kohaku had been himself. He had spoken with the same heart that she had known for all the years they had lived at the demon slayer's village together. Shifting her position to sit on her knees, she came up close to the grave. Smiling lovingly down at it, she closed her eyes as she placed her right hand softly on top of the grave. Another breeze fluttered around her, but it was warm and comforting. "I love you too, Kohaku," she whispered, her words drifting away with the wind.

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The end. A rather short ending chapter, but it's there all the same. I hoped you enjoyed my fanfiction and thank you for all the reviews! Goodbye for now! 


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